Jethro Tull are a British progressive rock band formed in 1967. The group’s founder Ian Anderson plays flute & acoustic guitar & is the lead singer & quite a showman. They've had a lot of different members over the years. They had a lot of great songs such as "Thick As A Brick", "Aqualung", "Living In The Past", "Songs From The Wood", "A New Day Yesterday", "Cross-Eyed Mary", "Bungle In The Jungle", "Sweet Dream", "Life’s A Long Song" etc.
Man, I miss the concerts of the '70s. They just aren't the same anymore. Your face when he started playing the flute was priceless and almost made up for the stoppages.
I also was 14 the first time I saw them. They had just released their Stormwatch album. I most recently saw them in Edinburgh Scotland, my brother and I flew over there from the States for their 50th anniversary show. Always a good show.
@@robmcgrath5202I was an eight month old fetus first time I heard them back in 1973. Can’t say I remember much from that show, but me mom said it was a good one. (sadly I never had the chance to see them as a fully formed human being)
I also saw them when I was fourteen, in 1975, right after "Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die!" It was my first concert was released. It was my first concert, and they ROCKED. Ian Anderson was such a showman.
Jethro Tull live is a total trip. I was lucky enough to see them in concert ... well, about 40 years ago. 🙂 Even my high school music teacher, back in the early 70s -- an elderly lady close to retirement, and a trained orchestra conductor, used to be a fan.
Yes, that was Martin Barre on the guitar. The man's a badass. One of my favorites. Jethro Tull is an incredibly unique and talented rock band. Their album Aqualung is a bonafide classic. You would really enjoy the whole album. Definitely worth your time to give it a listen, even if you can't react to every song.
Ian Anderson is the flutist and singer. And Robin Hood Men in Tights got their inspiration from them. Anderson is still composing and writing music to this day
You should ALWAYS listen to music from the 60s and 70s with headphones!!! The songs were mostly performed and engineered specifically for headphones. Also, always listen to the studio version first, that is how we first heard them. You can get a feeling of how it was introduced to us, why we fell in love with it and why it became a classic. It puts you there at that time and you can discover it as we did. You can always return for alternate versions and live performances later. I'm in my 60s, I got to see it all go down in real time. What a blessing!
Well, speakers, actually - but decent headphones sure help. Some of the better car istallations kick but for listeng to JT, and many of the other sixties and seventies 'supergroups'. Nowadays, most of the time I'm stuck with a Senn' 280 HMD-13 (studio monitor) headset, and a Creative Labs AE-9 s/card and break-out box. Not the best, but still very respectable for the price.
I like them both. 2 different takes on the same song that are both fantastic. Over the years the bands I love to see live the most are the ones that can play a song live different from the studio version but make it just as special and unique. It's like a huge bonus song that you get to hear.
Totally agree. The studio version has a dynamic that completely draws you in. That live version would be incredible if you were there, but the studio version has more staying power.
Yes! That driving beat that pushes straight through the song, and then that flute solo that makes Tull SOO special. Another iconic song still living on my Ipod. For all the impact the live video has to see the utter uniqueness of Tull, the original recording IMO hits much harder. Agree with the comment that this is best listened too with headphones.
That's incorrect. He started playing guitar at a young age ( rock guitar) and when he realized he would never be as good as the Jeff Becks and Eric Claptons of the world he decided to play something different. He went into a store and traded his guitar in for a flute figuring that no one was playing flute in Rock n Roll. He taught himself to play in about a year. When he put out the first Tull album he had only been playing about 3 years. Their first album was in 1967. He was about 20
@@toddbarton7229Should also add that he is actually still one of the best acoustic guitar players in the world. And I don't think it was three years before he started playing the flute live, but just a few months.
WRONG> as toddbarton7229 says, Ian Anderson started learning the flute (self taught) and playing it live right at the beginning of Tull. If you want to see one of his REALLY badass solo's look at "My God" from the Isle of Wight festival in 1970. It will make your eyes pop. He also plays amazing acoustic guitar.
Locomotive Breath, a song about life, how it won't stop, and how it feels like a train running you over sometimes. Hearing songs like this from Tull are a good reminder that, even if metal fans don't want to admit it, Tull had a big influence on the sounds that ended up in Metal. Also, Locomotive Breath was from the B side of the album Aqualung, which was a set of songs about God, hence the reference to Gideon's Bible. The A side of Aqualung was a set of stories about a small group of characters in a little English town. The entire album is worth a listen, some of the greatest work Tull ever did.
Jethro Tull is totally unique. This song is from the album "Aqualung". You should listen to more cuts from this album. Start with the first cut entitled Aqualung.
Aqualung is indeed a great one, and very chuggy on the flute. Lots of different techniques on the flute and theatrics by Ian Anderson. If you think this is gangsta try Agualung.
Watching you react to Jethro Tull while my cat, Jethro Tull, sleeps on my lap. He is named after this great band. That flute solo was the first I ever heard of a flute solo in rock music and has always been my number one for the flute in itself.
Hello beautiful Brother! Your intuition and decernment of this song and others is actually quite above all others. Also, everyone reacts differently to sounds and vibrations of the Hz being broadcast and it somehow effects your teeth. Thanks for sharing. Fun to view it with you. Cheers from Michigan.
Your analysis of the lyrics was spot on, for you. Mid to late 70s people would sit about (possibly with the help of substances) and discuss between themselves what the lyrics meant. Originally Jethro Tukll was na inventor(of agricultural machinery) but the band decided to take that for their name, the lead singer and flautist was Ian Anderson. He was self taught on the flute (only having nine usable fingers he developed his own style )he realised just how restricted he had become when his daughter learned to play so he adjusted his style to be more mainstream.
So glad you took the time to read and contemplate the lyrics - this is definitely a kick ass rocking song… But there are many Tull songs that showcase Ian Anderson’s amazing bard/minstrel captivating storytelling & singing abilities. 🤘🏼🎧🤟🏼
That look on your face when Ian started his first Flute Solo!! I've seen that look on MANY faces over the last 50 years. Had it myself the first time I heard it.
My first experience with Jethro Tull, two or three lifetimes ago, this is the song I heard, and it blew my mind. Ian Anderson's stage presence is fantastic, but the studio version is what you really need to hear. He made flute playing cool, making me wish I did more with my sister's when I stole it to tease her.
You may want to listen to the studio version, which features the full (beautiful) piano intro. The song is a general critique of runaway population. I do like the personal interpretation you took. The change at the end, after the last "No way to slow down", is to a different song from a different album ("Black Sunday", from "A"). The balloons come out at the last song of the show.
I saw Jethro Tull several times in San Francisco when I was 16. His flute playing is absolutely incredible and he is amazing to watch performing as he usually did on one leg.
I saw Jethro Tull in the early 1970’s. It was a great show, and I’ll never forget Ian Anderson playing flute on one leg. They were like early day touring minstrels the way they dressed.
Yes , I love Jethro Tull , listened to them for forty years ! You wanted something that you don't hear very often , how about Ten Years After , doing the song , I Can't Keep From Crying , live at Winter land in 1975 , if you want some cool guitar !! And yes , I do love Jethro Tull !!
This took me back, sae them years ago and the energy was electrifying. I don't know if you have reacted to or listened to Johnny and Edgar Winters live with Tobacco Road but if not give it a shot, it'll blow you away. 👍🌝🇬🇧
I’m a new subscriber to your channel, and I want to say I genuinely enjoy watching your reactions to music I’ve grown up listening to. It’s cool to kind of relive experiencing these songs for the first time, as I witness your reactions to discovering these tunes, and the appreciation and respect you show for the talent and abilities of the artists. I’m glad I came across your channel. Good luck, and I hope you keep creating content like this!
It's not often you hear a flute in a rock song. I have been listening to this since I was old enough to tune in a radio . You should also check out ACDC " It's a Long Way To the Top if You Want To Rock and Roll" Bon Scott plays the bag pipes as Angus Young is playing the guitar
I was listening to Jethro Tull when I was in myTeens all the songs were really good Also I have seen him live in the 90's and it was one of the best I am now retired and yes I am still listening to this awesome music All the best from Nottinghamshire 🏴 England 👍👍👍
Still one of the best concerts I ever attended: the Tull show in Rhode Island on the Songs From The Wood tour. Locomotive Breath was a standout, but the whole thing was wonderful. Jethro Tull had so many excellent songs.
My mom was a hippy/biker and I was named after Ian (the singer), JT was one of her favorite bands. I grew up on this in the late 70s/80s... Album version is a bit different from the live version, of course. Dude is the epitome of a showman...
I saw Jethro Tull when I was 17 years old and it was the best concert I've ever seen in my life. I'm 67 years old now and I'm still believe they're the best concert I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of concerts. Fantastic!!!
When I first heard this song, shortly after its release, it instantly became my all time favourite. It wasn't until later years that I feel I began to understand the lyrics. It seemed to me to say, as we push hard in our lives to succeed, to focus so much on what's directly ahead of us, that we miss all the important things in our lives. What advice, you ask? You said it in your closing remarks. Family, love, those around you that are important...focus on them and what makes you happy. The rest of it all just doesn't matter.
Ian Anderson is amazing on that flute. It is what sets their music apart from other bands. This was my very first concert at age 15. 1968. LOL 'Aqualung' was my favorite song by Jethro Tull. LOL
The guitarist Martin Barre tours The United States quite frequently with his Martin Barre Band. I saw him in May 2019 during the 50 Years of The Music of Jethro Tull tour (which featured the original Tull drummer Clive Bunker and longtime Tull collaborator Dee Palmer on keyboards).... and then again in January 2023 for the 50th Anniversary of Aqualung Tour. Ian Anderson is back to writing new music and touring again (he was sidelined by COPD) although he and Martin have (for the time being) gone their amicable separate ways they both perform these great songs from their ginormous catalog of music. Martin typically plays small venues (I saw him at the 350 seat Wildey Theater in Edwardville, Illinois) so the musical experience is very intimate. I was surprised to see that Martin is, himself, a very accomplished flutist
Ahhhh those were the days!!!! Went to see the band Boston many years ago didn't really see Boston I heard them. I was kinda laid back in my seat eyes closed the smell of Marijuana floating in the arena. Man I miss that.
Now you know why the late sixties and seventies were the greatest musically.Bands like Jethro Tull sat alongside Zeppellin, The Who , Deep Purple , Sabbath and The Beatles.
I’m lucky enough to have my first live Jethro Tull concert in July 1974 and they were arguably at their all time peak. I was already a huge fan before I saw them and I was awe struck seeing them live. Brilliant recording band and even better live. I still put on a Tull album regularly.
This is a hot one Sebs .. great tune 🔥🔥🎼🔥🔥 .. you are very good with your interpretation!! .. he wrote this as a revolt against big tech .. the world going to fast .. and how it is hard to get off this ongoing growth of media. Love it
I always thought the song referred to someone's life. Their life, the train, was out of control. As it sped along out of control others were getting "off the train" or out of his life. The Bible was getting his hand on the throttle? Maybe that happened too late? Yet another song that makes one think, feel, and wonder.
I was fortunate enough to have seen them live several times in the 70's. This was also the first album that I ever bought, at the age of fourteen. Tull started my love of Prog music. This catalog is great. Enjoy the ride.
Rock n Roll flute! Jethro Tull is unique and wonderful. Locomotive Breath is exactly as you say, the music is so relentlessly upbeat and the lyrics are so in your face about what our lives often look and fell like. Some further reqs are Aqualung, Thick As A Brick, Bungle in the Jungle, Living in the Past and many more.
Their song "Bourée" (< an short instrumental) is one of my favs sounds ever ... studio version - in stereo -, of course! :) When the band was in Germany - like 30+ (!?) years ago - I've been on the tour bus with them, riding to a concert at a extremly large hall (or stadium) ... pure fun and an epic night! :) It's worth to check out some more JT ... It's a quite interesting band! Well, ... I'll listen to "Bourée" now! Can't get this sound out of my head right now! ^^+gg XD
Ian Anderson the self-taught flutist and multi-intermentalist Mastermind Behind the Music. In 1976 four of us traveled from Az. to Tampa Fl. to watch this concert. Towards the beginning of a concert a woman in the front was heckling about how she didn't like flutes. With the band still playing he walked over and made some lewd gestures with the flute in her face and mumbled something we couldn't quite hear. Lol At 43 minutes their song Thick As a Brick is the longest rock song recorded. 🤠🏞️🐂
It can't be emphasized enough of how distinct and hugely recognizable name that Jethro Tull (the band) has played in the roster of classic rock. For those well familiar with them will simply say to one another Tull, as in "let's listen to some Tull, dude".
Jethro Tull have been a part of my life since 1972 when I discovered a song called "Life is a long Song"...... I respectfully suggest you buy the Aqualung album as this was the band's first big album in the USA.....they have a plethora of eclectic songs that span a variety of styles....Folk rock would be a general description of there gendra. Many albums with various line ups keep the brand alive. Mr Anderson has been their creative lynchpin throughout. Enjoy 😊
Martin Barre is the guitarist. The final solo was the melody from a song called "Black Sunday." A few years ago, someone asked Ian the meaning of the song, and he said it was about the environment. But I'm willing to bet if someone else asked him, he'd have another answer. LOL! They have decades worth of great music. :)
You nailed it Recently saw an interview with songs author Ian Anderson. He said what you said I've seen several other reactions to this song. None of the others were even close
Thanks, Sebs Ian was unique.. when you have time & inclination, also please listen to "Aqualung" (Ian looks like that crazy old guy...)- amazing stuff from these guys... there was a minor uproar when they received a "best rock" award, b/c a few people said that "flute doe not belong in rock music"... I tend to disagree based on what I hear from these guys.. lol... appreciate your reactions... and your interest in these very creative 70's bands... pre-autotune and vibrant and unique...
Ian Anderson is a musical genius. His creativity is off the charts. "Thick As A Brick" is an entire album that is one story, but the music evolves, rises, falls, quiets down and then explodes throughout the song/album. There is a live version in which Ian and his band cut it down to the best parts - just over 8 minutes - and that might be a good review for you. "Aqualung" is one of Tull's most iconic songs, and you MUST review it. To see Ian Anderson the genius up close and "unplugged", check out "Life's A Long Song" (Living With The Past, available on RU-vid) - a studio performance with a chamber orchestra in his later years that is a masterpiece. You will love all of these!
Ian Anderson is an ABSOLUTE genius and energizer bunny of a performer! Jethro Tull had so many great songs! Man...I miss those days when bands were unique, played their own instruments, wrote their own songs, had talent, had fun, made us have fun...what a great time for music! What happened? Where'd the fun go??
This video was made during the "Bursting Out" tour. I was at the Oakland coliseum arena when I saw this live. Still till this day, one of the best concerts I ever saw!
I've seen them several times, and I even wonder if I saw this particular show, with the balloon breaking like that. Been a favorite since I was a little kid.
The diverse band ever, stiil going strong after 55 years. There are great concert songs, such are Bourree, Thick as a Brick, My God and Aqualung. You must see and listen. BRILL3!!!!!
I've seen Ian Anderson many times, and was lucky enough to meet him several times; at the Rhythm Station in Rawtenstall. The last time I saw him was at the Burnley Mechanics theatre, with Florian Opahle (check him out).
Jethro Tull was actually a British inventor from the 17th century who was an inventor. He is remembered for inventing ploughing and seed drills and was at the time of The Industrial Revolution. It is from him that the band gets its name.
I've seen them live 5 times and would go again. They are on tour now and if they come back to Houston I'll be there. They always put on a show that is worth the money. I hope you will check out more. Enjoy
If you're interested in analyzing the lyrics of this song, I would highly, highly recommend listening to the entire album. Aqualung is considered a concept album, and there certainly are themes being explored throughout the various songs. The concepts are deep and well-voiced, and while you may not always agree with him, Ian's a bit of a philosopher poet and his lyricism from Tull's early albums through the 70s is absolutely incredible. For me, Thick As a Brick was earthshattering- the album, not the radio edit that most people are familiar with. The album, Thick As a Brick is one 45 minute song in two parts (the two sides of the LP), complete with recurring themes and musical motifs; it's an astounding piece of music.